Saturday 9th November was a very special night in the Clonduff Calendar when the Gales of Clonduff and guests gathered in the INF Hall Hilltown for the Presentation of the Annual Awards – Oh the glamour! Guests of Honour were the All Ireland Champions of 2019 – Aoife Trainor in Scór na nÓg Solo Singing and the Senior Camogie team who collected Clonduff’s first ever on-field All Ireland title. Both All Ireland were won within the space of two weeks!
Special Guest Speaker on the night was Derek McGrath former Waterford Hurling Manager; also present was Down GAA Co Board Chairperson Sean Rooney, Down Camogie Chair Helen McAleavey, Ulster Camogie Chair Jenny Caltra, Down Ladies Board Chair Stephen Magorrian and Ulster Scór Chair Paula Magee.
History was made or indeed reversed when the Hall of Fame, eloquently introduced by Fintan Mussen, was the first award of the evening and was presented to the Senior Camogie team with team Captain Paula O’Hagan, on behalf of the team, accepting the PJ McAlinden Memorial Trophy from Bronagh McAlinden. The team was presented with their medals and a specially commissioned photograph by Derek McGrath. Each girl also received a commemorative scroll. Both the players and Clonduff Club made presentations to the Camogie Management team.
The magnificent meal was provided by Diamonds Warrenpoint and the awards were presented between the courses as follows:
Football Awards presented by County Chair Sean Rooney:
A specially commissioned glass boot was presented to Ross Carr, the two-time All-Ireland winner marking 25 years since the second of those wins in 1994.
Senior Footballer of the Year – Aidan Carr
Seconds Player of the Year – Brendan O’Hagan
Thirds Player of the Year – Stephen Branagan (accepted by his sister Jolene McShane)
U21 Player of the Year – Jamie O’Hagan
Minor Player of the Year Joint Winners – Peter McEvoy and Darragh McAlinden
Presentations were also made to Stephen McConville Barry O’Hagan, Lyndon Brown, Rory McGreevy (Coach) in recognition of their Higher Education successes during the Sigerson weekend.
Ulster Scór Chair, Paula Magee was called upon to make a presentation of Aoife Trainor on her All Ireland Scór na nÓg achievement and then Aoife who had opened the proceeding with Amhrán na bhFiann enthralled the crown with ‘Slan Abhaile’ her All Ireland winning song.
Derek McGrath presented the Hurlers with their Feis Sevens medals and the Sean Cairn Memorial Trophy for the Most improved player was presented by Goretta Cairns to Shane Branagan; the Senior Hurler of the Year trophy was presented by Paudie Matthews to Patrick Brannigan (Jnr).
The Camogie team received their 2019 County and Ulster Championship medals from Helen McAleavey and Jenny Caltra before presenting Junior and Senior Players of the Year to Leann Quinn and Clare McGilligan respectively.
Stephen Magorrian presented the Ladies Footballers with their Junior Championship medals and the Player of the Year Award to Shannon O’Reilly; he also made a presentation to Leanne McAleavey on winning her second Higher Education Medal with Coleraine University – in Leanne’s absence the awards was accepted by her father Peter.
The final presentation of the evening was the Hugh McShane Memorial Trophy for ‘Club Person of the Year’, presented by Hugh’s great-grandson Shane Cairns to PJ McGreevy.
Bouquets of flowers were presented to Paula Magee, Mairead Rooney, Jenny Caltra and Helen McAleavey and a special one was presented to chief organiser and Social Secretary Sheenagh Walsh by Clonduff Chair Paudie Matthews.
The winners of the raffle were Danielle Harrison (Travel Voucher), Conor Pio Gribben (Food Hamper) and Hannah Wilson (Wine Hamper).
The magnificent Fear an Ti was Francis Quinn who kept the evening flowing in a very entertaining way and made a great job of interviewing the guests – perhaps he should apply for that vacant pundit’s role on RTE! The slide shows were prepared by Orla Gribben, Conor Óg O’Hagan and Francis and controlled on the night by Conor Óg – many thanks to everyone for a job well done. It would be remiss to fail to mention the décor in the INF Hall – many thanks to Anne Murray, Noreen Tumilty, Lorraine and Leo Bloomfield, Sheenagh Walsh, Michaella O’Hagan, Katrina and Shannon O’Hagan – it was indeed worthy of Clonduff’s All Ireland Queens!
